Jimmy V Classic offers you ways to help

Tonight on ESPN, the worldwide leader will spread some good will. There are two basketball games to watch from Madison Square Garden offering wagering options on the side and total. In addition, you can watch the stimulating Jim Valvano speech yet again and have it be a reminder that in some way cancer either has or will touch all of our lives. Enjoy the games and enjoy the speech and give a little if you can afford to towards cancer research.

Butler vs Georgetown 7:00 E

Remember the Cinderella story of George Mason’s Final Four appearance, another such tale could be brewing in Indiana. The Butler Bulldogs (6-2, 3-5 ATS) are no longer just a cute team that gets padded on the head for the old college try. Forward Gordon Hayward has NBA ability, and Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard are high-level college players. Coach Brad Stevens is not far from a bigger house in a high rent conference. Watch this team defense, they give nothing away. Butler is 20-10 ATS in non-conference games over the last three seasons.

No. 15 Georgetown (6-0, 1-1 ATS) arrives in the Big Apple without a loss, playing a schedule that has helped build momentum, but not tested the Hoyas. Georgetown’s main asset is Greg Monroe as big man, who doesn’t necessarily dominate, but is skilled in all facets of basketball, making him the ideal player for coach John Thompson III system. It will be curious to watch how guards Austin Freeman and Chris Wright play against Butler, as neither has played consistently to this juncture. Having faced very beatable opponents, the Hoyas are 11-2 ATS away from home after four straight wins by 10 points or more.

Bookmaker.com has Butler as 2.5-point underdogs with total of 127. The 22nd ranked Bulldogs have lost eight of their last nine against Top-25 opponents and can’t have Howard get in foul trouble like he did in 76 Classic, where they lost suffered both losses. Butler is only 1-6 ATS in last seven neutral site contests.

Without question Georgetown is the more athletic squad and they will depend on their defense that is allowing 53.2 points per game, mostly against inferior competition. The Hoyas are 5-14 ATS after playing a game as favorite and 3-13 ATS after they allowed opposing team to shoot 33 percent or less over the last three seasons.

Indiana vs Pittsburgh 9:20E

Approximately 20 minutes after the first game is completed, the Hoosiers and Panthers will do battle. Indiana (3-4 SU & ATS) had believed they were going to be a great deal better this season after just six victories a year ago, however, against better competition that has not been the case thus far. The Hoosiers are far more talented than a season ago, but extremely young. Verdell Jones III has played the best of the sophomores and freshman Maurice Creek has been a dependable scorer, along with Bobby Capobianco at the four-slot. The Hoosiers lost their last game 80-68 at home against Maryland, shooting a season low 32.9 percent. They do have players with quickness, averaging nine steals a game and are 5-1 ATS after losing by 10 or more points at home.

Dating back to 2001, Pittsburgh (7-1, 2-4-1 ATS) has always had the linkage of two to three returning players, which has led to Panthers owning the most victories in the Big East in the last five years, until now. Guard Brad Wanamaker is carrying his share of the scoring load and 6’10 Gary McGhee has been a force in the paint. The Panthers still play physical brand of basketball, averaging 24 free throws a game (only 63.4 percent made) and have a +7 rebound margin. Pitt is 8-1 ATS versus teams who average nine or more steals a game over the last three seasons.

Pittsburgh is a 7.5-point favorite, with a total of 132 and is meager 8-19 ATS playing against a marginal losing team with win percentage of 40 to 50 percent.

Looking Ahead in Rearview Mirror

The old story about defenses winning championships has held up to the test of time. On weekly basis this can also be the case, when defensive failures lead to losses. Two teams Sunday that have set high standards this decade were victims to such occurrences.

The defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers have lost four in a row and are not getting much done defensively. The numbers still show the Steelers are among the best in football, but against the Oakland Raiders Sunday, they looked more like the Cleveland Browns.

The Steelers held THREE fourth quarter leads against the Raiders and couldn’t hold any of them. The new sensational pitch and catch tandem of Bruce Gradkowski and Louis Murphy was unstoppable. When you consider Pittsburgh was a 15-point favorite and Oakland had three total touchdowns in the last quarter in 11 previous games this season, it’s shocking how far the Steelers have fallen since destroying Denver on Nov. 9.

For all the Bill Belichick apologists that felt he made the right move in going for first down at Indianapolis, subsequent losses to New Orleans and Miami have suddenly made the AFC East race more compelling with a month to go. The New England defense isn’t holding up, so maybe Belichick was right and followed his beliefs. This past weekend, Chad Henne went toe to toe with Tom Brady and his team emerged victorious. The other former Michigan quarterback threw for 335 yards against Patriots secondary.

With inferior talent on the last line of defense, New England has been lit up officially for 316, 367 and 328 yards passing in three of the four weeks. The trade of DE Richard Seymour is looking worse all the time, as the Pats have no pass rush. About the only good news is the remaining schedule includes Carolina, @ Buffalo, Jacksonville and @Houston. They should be favored in each and have excellent chance to be paper champs at 11-5, but certainly not feared.

The Dallas Cowboys December woes have been well documented, but what kind of a game plan was that on Sunday in the Meadowlands? Tony Romo was asked to throw 55 times against the Giants. If the Cowboys were trailing 17-0 at the end of the first quarter and were not having much luck catching up, that figure would at least have some credibility. However that wasn’t the case, at all. Dallas trailed by just seven points midway thru the fourth quarter, which was their largest deficit to that point in the game. Having one of the best running games in the NFL, they ran a ridiculous 23 times and played like they were the underdog instead of the favorite. The Dallas coaches get a D- for first Cowboys effort in December with San Diego up next.

If you have ever had your hand slammed by a door, that was similar to the pain Cincinnati backers felt when Detroit back-doored the 13-point favored Bengals with 96 seconds to play.

On Monday and Tuesday, the Tennessee Titans looked like a good bet at Indianapolis, catching seven points. Late Tuesday or Wednesday day depending on the sportsbook, the Titans went to +6.5. By Friday, most of the public money was on Tennessee and according to Las Vegas sources, a good chunk of sharp action was also backing Jeff Fisher’s club. A quick perusal of some forums over the weekend that have handicappers picks listed, showed the Titans as a 25-1 choice, easily the highest I’d seen all season, this going against an unbeaten team playing at home. The rest is history as the Colts covered rather easily.

There are points in a game where it makes sense to go for touchdowns as opposed to field goals and unquestionably having the advantage of looking back offers far greater clarity than living in the moment. Twice coach Fisher went for first down and or touchdowns and failed trying to lower a 24-10 deficit. Looking back, if he would have kicked very makeable field goals from short distances, Tennessee would have trailed just 24-16, still having time to make up the eight points.

Pop the Falcons out of the microwave, they are done.

It was a wild Sunday for bettors, as 10 underdogs covered the spread, which included six of those pooches winning outright. Friends on the Strip tell me it was easily the most profitable NFL weekend of the year, which was made all that much sweeter by Arizona’s easy upset victory over Minnesota.

New England loss wiped out a vast number of parlays and New Orleans decision to kick a field goal in overtime after taking it all the way down to one yard line destroyed six-point parlay cards. As a Las Vegas source told me, “The bean counters will be sending out rare positive emails to their least favorite aspect of the casino.”

Do it up this Monday

Similar to the public backing a team, sometimes professional bettors are too smart for themselves and I felt it coming on Tennessee yesterday, which ended our streak of 2-1 days. One of the guys from the Left Coast Connection was extra sharp on Sunday and goes for perfect NFL weekend with his Free Monday night play. The Top Trend is in college hoops at over 85 percent and the Best System is in the NBA and just misses as qualifying. Good Luck

What I’m thinking today- I’m starting to think I’m in the minority on this topic, but I don’t know any female that Tiger Woods has slept with. I’m starting to feel a little self conscious.

On Twitter at: www.twitter.com/3Dailywinners

Free Basketball System-1) See Spurs and Jazz system below.

Free Basketball Trend-2) The College of Charleston is 18-3 ATS in road December games since 1997.

Free Football Pick -3) Nick of the LCC was 5-0 yesterday in the NFL and looks to make it a perfect weekend with the Packers tonight.

Do yourself a favor for the Bowl Season, order this guide, you will thank me.

Note- If you prefer to have this sent to you daily instead of having to visit the site, sign up for our FREE mailing list on the right.

Baltimore at Green Bay Monday night matchup

Green Bay and Baltimore share wildcard aspirations in their respective conferences. The teams will go head-to-head at Lambeau Field on Monday night to wrap up the Week 13 slate, each hoping it turns out to be lucky. The Packers are 7-4 and facing a two-game road trip following this one, placing a premium on gaining a victory here.

Green Bay (6-4-1 ATS) has come a long way since a loss to previously winless Tampa Bay in Week 8 dropped them to .500. Their convincing 34-12 victory at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day was their third in a row and improved their chances in a wild-card race sure to come down to the wire as usual. They will come into this contest 24-9 ATS in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers tied a career-high with three touchdown passes and comes into Monday night’s game at Lambeau Field against Baltimore in a serious groove with 881yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions since the defeat to the Buccaneers. It should also be noted he’s been doing a better job in getting rid of the ball instead of holding onto it and has been sacked only three times in the last two games working behind a much-maligned offensive line that gave up 41 sacks through nine contests. He’s thrown an interception in only three games all year, and his 22-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 104.9 rating are among the best in the NFL.

The re-signing of tackle Mark Tauscher has solidified the offensive line and the combination of understanding Dom Capers defense better and facing a series of weak offenses has led to Green Bay having No.1 total defense coming into Week 13 and they are 14-4 ATS at home after a game with a turnover margin of +3 or better. Cornerback Charles Woodson is seemingly only getting better instead of older and his team is 11-1 ATS at the frozen tundra vs. squads outscoring opponents by six or more points per game after eight contests have been played during the season.

For Baltimore (6-5 SU & ATS), this is their third prime-time game in four weeks. The last time they played on Monday their defense pitched a shutout at lowly Cleveland but the offense struggled to put points on the board. One of their two touchdowns in the 16-point victory was a pick six by Dawan Landry. Last Sunday night’s overtime win over Pittsburgh put them a game over .500, but they’ve produced just 58 points over the past month. The Ravens have been consistent money-makers with 21-10 ATS record in last 31 contests.

This week could ultimately determine if Baltimore returns to the playoffs following an appearance in the AFC Championship Game last season. After the Packers only one of its last four opponents has a winning record (Steelers) and the other three (Lions, Bears and Raiders) are floundering.

The Ravens need to get back to stretching defenses, and with pass-rushing linebacker Aaron Kampman and cornerback Al Harris missing from Green Bay’s lineup it’ll be up to offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to turn second-year quarterback Joe Flacco loose. Flacco completed only two touchdown passes in five November games and also had three sub-200-yard efforts. The Ravens own a 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS mark vs. non-conference foes under John Harbaugh and their next three games are against NFC North opponents.

DiamondSportsbook.com has Green Bay as 3.5-point favorites, with total of 42.5, but they are just 2-5 SU (4-3 ATS) on Monday night under Mike McCarthy. The Packers will have had what accounts for almost a bye week before this one, with it being 11 days since dumping Detroit on Turkey Day and teams like the Pack are 18-7-1 OVER in next outing if they beat a division team on a Thursday. Baltimore is 7-3 ATS in last 10 road underdog assignments and 10-2 OVER as a visitor catching seven points or less.

Baltimore covers if they run the ball and control the clock. Their running attack is 14th in the league and they will take on the Packers defense which is fourth against the run. That means finding which of their three backs is the most effective vs. the Pack and go at them. Ravens’ coaches have to expect Green Bay will send pressure, as the offensive line did a poor job last week against Pittsburgh. They will have to clean this up to give Flacco time to work the ball downfield. Baltimore has to bring heavy pressure on Rodgers and force him to make quick decisions or have him revert to holding the ball, keeping the Ravens in positive down and distance situations that help pull the upset.

Green Bay covers if they stone the Birds running game and Woodson eliminates Derrick Mason. That leaves Flacco with few options and makes blitz packages more effective. Teams that have beaten Baltimore have chosen one method to start the game, either heavy run or heavy pass. Whichever way McCarthy chooses, stick with it to test for success and eventually take deep shots against ordinary secondary. If Baltimore decides to bring defensive pressure, utilize two tight end sets giving Rodgers a down the field threat for having to make quick throw.

Monday Night System – Play Against any road underdog that has failed to cover last two games. (21-10 ATS)

Steve Makinen of The Platinum Sheet and College and Pro Football Weekly contributed to this article.

NBA Monday Systems

With college football taking a short sabbatical before the bowl games commence, the NBA will take a greater role in the minds of the public. We start a new week with increased focus on the hardwood and besides its comforting to know former NBA referee Tim Donaghy says he refused to make calls to affect games even if it meant he lost money and it angered those paying him. Thanks, Tim. Numbers from DiamondSportsbook.com.

Denver at Philadelphia (+6, 216)

The Nuggets have won three in a row and seven of last eight (6-2 ATS), with its top-ranked offense scoring at least 100 points in every single contest. Tonight is Denver’s second road tilt on a four-game trip and they are healthy road favorites. When a team is giving 3.5 to 9.5 points after a combined score of 205 points or more in four straight games, they are nicely profitable 30-11 ATS since 2005.

Portland at New York (-4.5, 203)

It not like the Trailblazers are not used to it, but at some point you have to wonder about big men in Portland. A generation ago, Sam Bowie was supposed to lead Portland and he suffered an injury-plagued career. Now Greg Oden is taking on the same characteristics, out again for the season, this time with broken left kneecap. Portland once again has to move on, however tonight is not the most favorable position. The Blazers stopped Houston 90-89 Saturday and teams that won last game by six or less points and face opponent that has scored 100 or more in four straight contests are 15-40 ATS the last 13 years.

Golden State at Oklahoma City (-7, 222)

There are positives building for the Thunder, sporting winning record (10-9) with a nucleus of young talent. One of Oklahoma City’s strengths in the first quarter of the season has been defense, allowing 95.4 points per game (7th). The last few games they have lost an edge on that end of the floor, allowing teams to break the century mark in three consecutive contests. In comes Golden State who ranks second in the NBA in scoring at 109.8 points per game. Here we find underdogs averaging 103 or more points a game on the season, facing opponent after allowing 100 points or more three straight games, are 38-15 ATS.

San Antonio at Utah (-1.5, 191.5)

As usual, the Jazz are among the best shooting teams in the NBA at 49.5 percent, second only to Boston. Utah shot the ball well in Minnesota on Saturday night, but was horrible defensively in allowing the Timberwolves to convert 57.1 percent of shot attempts in 108-101 defeat. This could benefit the Jazz tonight, as teams that shoot 48 percent or higher on the season, after a game allowing a shooting percentage of 55 percent or higher are 27-7 ATS, winning by over six points a game.

Let's knock'em Sunday

We fashioned our third straight 2-1 day, which is great, however still pushing for that 3-0 figure. Let’s begin hopefully another Best System play that is 29-5 ATS the last five years. The Top System is in an AFC South matchup and the Free Play will be here momentarily or as soon as I get it posted. Good Luck

What I’m thinking today – That getting up this early after hosting a Christmas party, I don’t have my usual wit and charm. (Some of you might question that to begin with) What I’m trying to say is I’m tired.

On Twitter at: www.twitter.com/3Dailywinners

Free Football System-1) PLAY ON road teams like Tampa Bay after one or more consecutive wins against the spread, with a winning percentage of 25 percent or less of their games, in the second half of the season. This baby comes in at 29-5 ATS, 85.3 percent since 2005. (3-0 TY)

Free Football Trend-2) The Jacksonville Jaguars are 2-12 ATS after failing to cover the spread in two out of their last three games over the last two seasons.

Free Football Pick -3) Fifteen members of the Left Coast Connection are on Tennessee with nobody taking the Colts. Honestly, I find that curious.

Wagering Info for Week 13 of the NFL

December not only brings the cold winds and frigid temperatures, but a frosty end to many professional teams playoff hopes. The New York Giants are among those that have to come up with a winner, especially playing rival Dallas at home. In a conflict Alfred Hitchcock would enjoy, it’s the battle of birds down south. For the Eagles and Falcons, it’s about finding healthy players to perform. Houston blew two leads at home to all but crush their playoff dreams, now they will try and do the same to Jacksonville on the road before all 30,000 Jags fans. Tennessee is living the dream and is halfway to finishing the year 10-0, facing unbeaten Indianapolis. Coach Bill Belichick has been served a piece of humble pie besides the usual pumpkin and will look to regroup in Miami to start an extended winning streak.

Philadelphia at Atlanta 1:00E FOX

The Eagles and Falcons are two of the handful of teams in contention for the NFC Wildcard spots, so a loss in this head-to-head matchup would be devastating for either. If history is any indication, Atlanta could be in trouble, as Philadelphia (6-5 ATS) owns a 7-3 SU & 8-1-1 ATS edge in the last 10 games of the series. However, most of those matchups were in Philly, evidenced by the fact that the home team is on a 6-1 SU & ATS run in that span. The Falcons are in the middle of a three-game homestand and are 6-5 after beating Tampa Bay. They are 7-4 ATS in 2009, including 4-1 ATS at home. The Eagles, 7-4, begin a critical two-game road set in this one, with the next stop in the Meadowlands. The head-to-head series between these teams has also been low scoring, with seven of the previous going UNDER.

Keys to the Game-

In this confrontation of attrition, Philadelphia has the edge, having worked through it. No Brian Westbrook, rookie LeSean McCoy has stepped right in and looked comfortable. Explosive DeSean Jackson out, another rookie Jeremy Maclin steps in. Coach Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb have to work better in the red zone, as K David Akers needs to make appearances for extra points, not field goals. The Eagles too often have played to level of competition, with Falcons missing offensive firepower, go win the game in the first half and stop dawdling like last week against Washington. If they don’t, Eagles are unlikely to improve upon December record of 2-10 ATS on the road against non-division team with revenge.

Backup Chris Redman will make his 11th career start filling in for Matt Ryan and has to keep his head from spinning all the way around with the dizzying array of blitzes he is certain to face. Be confident, make the right read and hit the hot receiver. The Falcons offensive line will have to be a difference-maker against 8th ranked run defense. Yes Michael Turner is out and Jerious Norwood is dinged, but they have to create running lanes for plugger Jason Snelling to run thru or 4-14 ATS mark as a home underdog of 3.5 to 7 points is a distinct possibility. The front four has to step up to protect 27th ranked pass defense.

3DW Line – Philadelphia by 1
DiamondSportsbook.com Line – Philadelphia -5, 43.5

Houston at Jacksonville 1:00E CBS

The Jaguars and Texans both maintain wildcard hopes but it is getting late for Houston (5-5-1 ATS), who is 5-6 after losing to Indianapolis. They are now 1-4 in divisional games this season, including a 31-24 home loss to Jacksonville back in September. That sets up a nice spot for head coach Gary Kubiak’s team who is on a 16-6 ATS run revenging a loss where the opponents topped the 28-point mark. Coach Jack Del Rio’s team is off another horrible trip west, a 20-3 setback to the 49ers which dropped their record to 6-5. This starts a three-game homestand for the Jaguars (4-7 ATS), who are desperate to improve a 2-11 ATS slide in home games over the last season-and-a-half. Houston, who has played surprisingly well on the road, 7-2 ATS in its last nine and is also 5-2 ATS at Jacksonville since 2002.

Keys to the Game-

For whatever reason, quarterback Matt Schaub seems more comfortable on the road than at Reliant Stadium. The Texans score 26.2 points per game away from Houston and 21.3 at home. Schaub has the ability to help his team win three road games in a row, but must avoid throwing interceptions and fumbling like last week to give his club a chance. The Texans are 16-7-1 ATS off consecutive spread losses and have to lower pad level to contain Maurice Jones-Drew or he will run wild vs. defense that allows 4.8 yards per carry (31st).

Jacksonville is being dissed in spite of winning record, however when you have allowed 53 more points than you’ve scored, scrutiny is sure to follow. The Jaguars pass defense ranks 26th, but Texas will have third new starter this season at left tackle, which means load up on that side and pressure Schaub’s backside. The Jags are 1-8 ATS at home against AFC opponents since last year and can turn that number around by getting Jones-Drew started early in piling up yards and deflating Houston’s spirit. Jacksonville is really the team with something to play for and has to protect David Garrard, since they are 4-15 SU when he is sacked three times or more.

3DW Line – Houston by 7
Bookmaker.com Line – Houston -2.5, 47

Tennessee at Indianapolis 1:00E CBS

When Indianapolis and Tennessee last met, the Titans were a different team. The Colts’ win in that contest sent coach Jeff Fisher’s team to 0-5, but since eventually dropping six straight, Tennessee (5-6, 5-5-1 ATS) has come alive, winning its last five games to climb back into playoff picture. This one, in Indy, will be their most difficult task remaining as well, and a three-game homestand is next on tap. The Colts (11-0, 7-4 ATS) have won five of last six games when hosting Tennessee, and are 4-2 ATS in that span. However, they are just 2-7 ATS in their previous nine as a divisional host and 1-4 ATS at home in ’09 overall. Looking to remain perfect, head man Jim Caldwell’s team plays three of its final five games at home. The Titans wrap up their divisional slate this week and are 2-3 SU and ATS vs. AFC South foes.

Keys to the Game-

Adrian Peterson might be the best running back in the NFL; nevertheless the hottest is Titans Chris Johnson. The former East Carolina star is the league’s leading rusher at 1,396 yards and is on streak of 125 or more yards in last six contests. Ideally, Tennessee would prefer Johnson to grind out consistent yardage to keep Peyton Manning on the sidelines, but going the distance for six is solid alternative. Vince Young is an incredible story no matter who decided to make him starter. Each game he develops another phase and could give Colts a headache if he leaves the pocket, running or throwing for first downs. Tennessee will be better prepared defensively having complete secondary back, which wasn’t the case in the first matchup. Frustrate Indy into kicking field goals and Titans could march to 10-0 ATS in road games after four or more consecutive non-losses against the spread.

The Colts may be 11-0, but the Titans are hot. Manning had four interceptions in first seven games, but has seven picks in last four. No need to give piping-hot club a reason to feel better about itself. With no Bob Sanders at safety, the job likely falls to Melvin Bullitt to “spy” Young. He has to be physical and remember to take the legs of the tall Texan to prevent big plays. Tennessee is only 4-13 ATS versus excellent offensive teams averaging 375 or more yards per game, put the pressure on their offense to match points by scoring on each possession if possible. Indy linebackers are mostly faceless; however they will have to be at their best to control the speedy Johnson.

3DW Line – Indianapolis by 10
DiamondSportsbook.com Line –Indianapolis -6.5, 46

New England at Miami 1:00E CBS

Miami’s (5-6 SU & ATS) playoff hopes took a crushing blow when it lost in Buffalo 31-14. They may be relegated now to the spoiler role, and will try to do just that to New England’s quest to obtain the AFC’s #2 seed in the postseason. For coach Tony Sparano’s team, it was a first divisional ATS loss of the year (3-2 SU & 4-1 ATS). The Patriots (7-4, 6-5 ATS) are 3-1 in division game so far but just 1-3 ATS. Their only loss was at the Jets in Week 2, which snapped a six-game SU & ATS winning streak on the road vs. AFC East foes. This is their second meeting of the season with New England having won the first at home last month, 27-17, failing to cover an 11-point spread. Favorites are on an 8-3 SU and ATS run in the last 11 matchups between these rivals in Miami, and the Dolphins are 2-5 SU & ATS as a home dog under Sparano.

Keys to the Game –

It was a rare sight indeed, coach Belichick waving the proverbial white flag in having Tom Brady take a seat this past Monday night in New Orleans. The disappointment was so profound, Brady felt compelled to issue statement - "the mourning period is over", this past Wednesday. This is not Patriots team of earlier this decade, yet they still could win next five games and possibly earn second seed, starting with win in Miami. New England has to let Saints loss go and focus on Ricky Williams, who has raised his level of play since Ronnie Brown went down, having at least 100 yards with three touchdowns in each of the past three games. The Pats are puny 1-4 on the road this season with two covers and better be ready to wrap up Williams if they expect to move to 40-21 ATS in road games versus division opponents.

Coach Sparano is emotional leader and a few times it seems those emotions have gotten the best of him in making questionable decisions that cost the Dolphins who have a thin margin for error. Having tricks and surprises is part of being a good coach, but taking chances for lesser rewards won’t have you beat New England. Joey Porter and the Miami defense generated six sacks last week, but none were important in the “clutch” context of the game, which led to Buffalo upset. The defense can sack Brady on first down, but if they allow him to complete third down pass for first down, it was all for naught. The Fins are just 5-16 ATS at Landshark Stadium since 2007.

3DWLine – New England by 6
Bookmaker.com Line – New England -4, 46

Dallas at N.Y. Giants 4:15E FOX

New York already won in Dallas in Week 2. Another victory over the Cowboys at home gets the Giants (6-5, 5-6 ATS) back into the race for the NFC East title. Currently Tom Coughlin’s team trails Dallas by two games in the standings, with Philadelphia sandwiched in between. The Eagles are next up for the Giants at the Meadowlands, so this is a critical homestand for New York. Both teams are 2-1 in divisional play so far in ’09. At 8-3, the Cowboys (6-5 ATS) face a brutal five-game season ending schedule and haven’t had a winning post-Thanksgiving campaign since 2004, with unimposing 4-14-3 ATS record in that span. New York is 21-9 ATS under Coughlin vs. offenses gaining 350 or more yards per game. Favorites have won the last four games between these teams in New Jersey and are 4-0-1 ATS. Six of last eight have gone OVER at Giants home.

Keys to the Game-

It’s about time Dallas puts together a December to remember, instead of how they have failed the last decade (17-29 SU L10Y). It begins with the offensive line, they’ve helped Cowboys to No.6 rushing attack (138 YPG), but Tony Romo has already been sacked a career-high 25 times. The Giants sack numbers are down, but they are wholly capable. The Dallas secondary was toasted 330 yards passing in the first meeting however has improved considerably, now up to 14th in yards per pass attempt. The Giants passing game has been mostly ineffective, save the win over Atlanta, there only W in last six outings. Cover up receivers and pressure Eli Manning. Cowboys have to attack aggressively to shake the doldrums of the final month of the season, yet they are measly 10-21-1 ATS on the road off two SU wins.

The Giants have lost their offensive identity. New York is designed to be running team first and in five opening victories they averaged 36 carries per game. In the subsequent six contests, they averaged just over 24 attempts. Don’t blame it trailing in losses, as they’ve had a second half lead in three of their last encounters. In the NFL, when things are not going well, they tend to snowball and Brandon Jacobs might be Giants only healthy running back. Manning could use the help as he has a stress condition in his right foot, which could account for accuracy issues. The G-Men are 13-4 ATS as an underdog over the last three seasons and D-Line has to bother Romo throughout to protect tremulous secondary.

3DW Line – Dallas by 1
DiamondSportsbook.com Line – Dallas -1.5, 45.5

Steve Makinen of The Platinum Sheet contributed to this article.

Championship Saturday

Our last post was another 2-1 day and we believe we have the right stuff to make today even better. We’ll start with an 85.3 percent system on the gridiron that is perfect this season. That is followed by a perfect trend in the ACC title game and finally Steve of the Left Coast Connection has it going on and releases his Best Bet today. Good Luck

What I’m thinking today – I’m caught in one of those rare situations where I want to bet one team but I really like the other team. When I say like, I mean I want them to win. This doesn’t happen often for me, but it does occur. I actually like the 11-0 Cincinnati team. I like the way they play, I like their coach and I would like to see them go unbeaten. That aside, I have the suspicion they may have peaked, especially on defense and I believe an angry Pittsburgh team beats them. I’ll be rooting for the Bearcats and don’t want money to take away from my enjoyment of watching the game and pulling me in opposite directions.

On Twitter at: www.twitter.com/3Dailywinners

Free Football System-1) PLAY ON Home favorites of 21.5 or more points like Louisiana Tech, who are average offensive team (4.8 to 5.6 yards per play) against a team with a terrible defense (6.2 or higher YPP), in conference games. This system checks in at 29-5 ATS, 85.3 percent, with 3-0 mark this season.

Free Football Trend-2) Georgia Tech is 8-0 ATS versus good defensive teams allowing 310 or fewer yards a game over the last two seasons.

Free Football Pick -3) Steve’s hot streak continues and he is making a big play on Rutgers today.

Florida and Alabama for SEC Title

As soon as the first BCS ratings were announced, it was a foregone conclusion these two SEC teams would meet again for what is essentially a semi-final game for the national championship. This is the second year in a row these teams will meet sporting a perfect records, however Alabama (12-0, 7-4 ATS) has closed the gap, now 5.5-point underdogs compared to +10 a season ago. The Crimson Tide have tailback Mark Ingram running behind five behemoths.

Quarterback Greg McElroy has rectified mid-season slump and again is on target to Julio Jones and other pass-catchers. The defense is led by nose tackle Terrence Cody and has a number of large bodies and they have been ranked with Florida all season among the top three defenses in college football. Bama is 13-5 ATS after eight or more consecutive straight up wins.

Just how good has the Florida (12-0, 6-5 ATS) football program been the last several of years? This senior class is 47-6, the best ever in the long history of the SEC and they are impressive 31-17-2 ATS, often facing spreads bigger than the Mt. Cody. Besides the numbers, this Florida team wants to leave an indelible mark, like the basketball team did a few years back.

The Gators are trying to be back-to-back champions and be first Florida squad to claim a national championship being unbeaten. Tim Tebow (that's him in the picture in case you weren't sure) has put up numbers and accomplished feats that arguably make him the greatest college football player of all-time. The offense lacked the playmakers of a year ago but offensive line has pulled them through. The defense covered up what rough patches the offense suffered. The Gators are 9-2 ATS away from Gainesville after two or more consecutive straight up wins.

This is a de facto BCS Final Four encounter. Florida has the edge because they have Tebow and shined on this stage every time they have played under Urban Meyer. Pick the style of play, the Gators eat it up. Teams with winning records, Florida is 11-2 ATS. You play great defense and hold teams to 17 or fewer points, the Gators are 6-0 ATS. What about teams with high scoring offenses that total 31 or more points a game, 8-1 ATS the last three years. Did we mention Tin Tebow?

Job one of Alabama’s tremendous defense; take away the Florida dive play, that means you Mr. Cody. If LB Rolando McClain is making tackles within four yards of line of scrimmage, the Crimson Tide defense is doing its job. The Florida passing tends to run in streaks during games, don’t let Tebow get comfortable throwing the ball. Coach Nick Saban’s offensive line had played outstanding until last week in Auburn. They have to be great against fabulous Florida defense and they got early Christmas present, not having to deal with DE Carlos Dunlap (suspended for drunk driving charges). Mark Ingram can’t run like he did last week and QB Greg McElroy cannot crumble in the moment for a team that is 7-0 ATS away from home vs. excellent passing defenses allowing 5.25 or less passing yards per attempt.

DiamondSportsbook.com has the Gators as favorites; however from our friends at Playbook.com, we find No.1 teams are 2-9 and 1-10 ATS off a win by 25 or more points. The total has been steady at 41 and Florida is 7-1 UNDER after allowing 125 or less rushing yards in two straight games and Alabama is 11-2 UNDER after five or more consecutive straight up wins over the last two seasons.

This has the making of classic defensive struggle and Florida is 6-4 and 5-4-1 ATS since 1992.

3DW Line – Florida by 2

Longhorns and Yellow Jackets favored

The final two spots for the BCS will be locked up on Saturday night, with the Big 12 and ACC championships. Texas is a solid favorite and is predicted to be in BCS title game with a victory. The ACC game for all the marbles has a different flavor, as both teams are off disappointing losses to non-conference rivals and are in a rematch of earlier game. A double dip to close out Championship Saturday. Lines from Bookmaker.com.

Nebraska vs Texas (-14.5, 47) 8:00E ABC

It wasn’t an easy trek, but Nebraska accomplished one of their goals this season, winning the Big 12 North. The next goal is more challenging aspiration, knocking off Texas for the conference crown. This is the Cornhuskers fifth appearance in the Big 12 championship and the third time they will face Texas. Nebraska (9-3, 7-5 ATS) has to this point stayed with a familiar script, using a conservative offense, a stingy defense and special teams play that consistently wins the field position battle. Only Texas Tech and lucky Colorado has managed to score more than 17 points against the Blackshirts, with Ndamukong Suh, a finalist for the Lombardi Award, leading the assault. The offense needs RB Roy Helu gaining yardage behind the offensive line, giving inaccordant quarterback Zac Lee a chance to complete passes. Nebraska is 25-10 ATS vs. passing teams with a completion percentage of 62 percent or better.

After missing out on BCS title game a year ago, Texas (12-0, 5-6-1 ATS) was expected to come in this season and have Texas-sized chip on their shoulder. One aspect overlooked is every year is divergent. Different players are starters along with backups and attitudes change for individuals still in college. The Longhorns had more than their share of slow starts and always came on to put way opponent in the last 30-45 minutes of game action. Since the close 16-13 victory over Oklahoma, the Texas players have played with greater purpose and man-handled everyone on the schedule. It’s evident the Longhorns are peaking but will face a determined Nebraska club that is has nothing to lose. Texas is 22-5 ATS when they allow 4 to 4.5 total yards per play.

The Texas defense was sliced and diced by Texas A&M last week for 532 yards, but Nebraska lacks that kind of firepower to match those figures. Do expect Lee of the Cornhuskers to throw the ball, especially early, since the Longhorns have allowed 279.3 yards passing in last three contests. Nebraska has covered seven of last 10 against teams with winning records.

Against teams from BCS conferences, Nebraska has scored a whopping 18.3 points per game this season. That means a quick start for focused Mack Brown team has TV viewers heading over to ACC contest. This is attitude game for Longhorns, beat Huskers decidedly and folks start believing they can defeat SEC champion. Let Nebraska hang around playing great defense and people will ask what is wrong with TCU not being in Pasadena for last game of the season. The Horns are 13-4 ATS after allowing 325 or more passing yards.

Favorites in the Big 12 title games are 8-4-1 ATS.

3DW Line – Texas by 15

Clemson vs Georgia Tech (Pick) 8:00E ESPN

It’s a rematch from Sept.10 for the ACC championship. In that contest, Georgia Tech jumped out to a 24-0 lead over Clemson, with RB Anthony Allen scoring on an 82-yard run and Jerrard Tarrant taking a punt back 85 yards. The Tigers weathered the storm and settled in and scored the game’s next 27 points to take the lead. The Yellow Jackets (10-2, 7-4-1 ATS) reestablished their option offense and put together two drives that resulted in field goals, including the winner with under a minute to escape 30-27. Georgia Tech is 5-1 and 3-3 ATS vs. Clemson last six meetings.

Georgia Tech’s option offense had stung opponents for 39 points per game during its eight game winning streak before losing to rival Georgia. One edge they have enjoyed is teams had only one week to prepare for unique offense. Though Clemson will have the same time frame having played South Carolina last week, they’ve had enough time to breakdown tape of their earlier matchup. Coach Paul Johnson, whose 19-6 (15-7 ATS) mark through two seasons is the best in Tech history, has shown his offense can work playing against better competition. The Yellow Jackets are perfect 8-0 ATS versus defensive teams allowing 310 or less yards a game over the last two seasons.

Clemson (8-4, 7-4 ATS) has finally broken thru, winning seven of eight contests and playing like a team which finally exceeded expectations. Coach Dabo Swinney was finally able to sell the upperclassmen on the idea of being accountable for actions. Seniors like C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford have been among the leaders that by example both verbally and by actions. One noticeable difference also has been the defense. Clemson’s had numerous players with all-ACC ability, but this group is No. 1 in total defense in the league and 14th nationally. The Tigers are 2-11 ATS when they allow 250 to 300 rushing yards.

Clemson should have learned something from Georgia’s win, pound away at Yellow Jackets front seven. The Tigers have three running backs each with a different style, make it work and score touchdowns. If Clemson doesn’t run effectively and is forced to pass, they drop to 2-8 ATS after scoring less than 20 points in last game.

Interesting to note in common opponents Clemson is 4-0 (3-1 ATS) winning by almost 17 points a game, while Georgia Tech is 3-1 (2-2 ATS) with a winning margin of 4.2 PPG.

3DW Line – Georgia Tech by 1

Great start to college football Saturday

By game time on Saturday, two more conference tiles will have been decided over the last couple of games and now it’s time to fill the last five spots, which includes four specific BCS bowl slots. Starting in Pittsburgh, the home of the defending professional football and hockey champions and the Pirates (keeps things in balance), the Big East championship game will be played. Over in Greenville, NC, where they average 50 inches of rain a year, the Conference USA crown will be determined, with the winner advancing to the Liberty Bowl. Let the fun begin.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 12:00E ABC

The Bearcats (6-5 ATS) are perfect 11-0 heading into what is Big East championship contest. Coach Brian Kelly has done a terrific job of keeping all the excitement in perspective, saying “…the program has conceivably has arrived, but it is not built”. Tony Pike is back as the starting quarterback; however Kelly has deftly changed the offense from a passing team, to one that has compiled 180 yards or more rushing in the in four of the last five games. This strategy has worked well in thinking ahead to the potential of inclement weather and given opposing defenses something else to worry about. The defense has worn down as the season progressed, especially against the run, being gouged for over 200 yards in the last two of last three games which will be a focal point Pittsburgh will certainly attack. Cincy is 27-9 ATS vs. teams outscoring opponents by 10 or more points per game.

Pittsburgh (9-2, 6-3-1 ATS) is off confidence deflating loss at West Virginia 19-16 and now like many of the teams playing this weekend for championships, can focus on the task at hand. Coach Dave Wannstedt has taken a lot of grief as head coach in several stops; nevertheless he is to be commended for this job. He built the program his way, defense first and a pro-style offensive attack. He not only was able to get the right players to fit his program, but worked with players that improved each season like QB Bill Stull. He wasn’t afraid to take a chance on dynamic RB Dion Lewis, considered too small by others. The Panthers are 12-5-1 ATS in last 17 lined contests.

Bookmaker.com has seen Pittsburgh go from opening as 1.5-point favorites to two-point underdogs. In order to prove bettors wrong the Panthers must be the more physical team, control the clock with run game and have defensive front pressure Pike. Pittsburgh’s 43 sacks was the best in college football, while Cincinnati has given up nine, the nation's third-fewest. Wanny’s crew really gave a non-effort in loss to West Virginia last week and is 5-1 ATS off a spread loss.

Pittsburgh’s secondary is not as good as its numbers (45th) which provides coach Kelly an opportunity to dissect it, while looking thru companies in South Bend that make business cards. If the offensive line holds up, Pike should carve Pitt up like a surgeon. Pike is the better quarterback in this BCS battle. Defensively, the Cats have to find ways to get off the field, since they lose in slug-fest. Cincy is 28-11-1 ATS as visitors against teams with winning home records.

This series is known as the River City Rivalry and Pittsburgh is 7-1 and 4-1 ATS and the total of this Big East bash is 58.

3DW Line – Pittsburgh by 4.5

Houston at East Carolina – 12:00E ESPN2

It took all season, but two of the teams that were thought to be in the Conference USA championship game in early October have emerged as division champions. East Carolina held off Southern Mississippi 25-20 and now has a chance to be back-to-back champs. The Pirates (8-4, 5-6 ATS) advanced to the championship contest based on many of the same things that helped them all season. Sixth-year senior quarterback Patrick Pinkney led the way throwing for 269 yards and the defensive line made play after play, allowing East Carolina survive. East Carolina will be the host for this title tilt, however they are only .500 against the spread in last 52 home games.

Houston (10-2, 8-3 ATS) was supposed to play in this game a season ago, but was derailed by Rice. The Cougars made sure that didn’t happen two years in a row by obliterating the Owls 73-14 and moving on to first championship conflict. Quarterback Case Keenum will bring the nation’s top passing game into Greenville, averaging over 440 yards thru the air, with its dizzying array of pass patterns and movement. Keenum is a finalist for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award and has terrific receivers to throw to. The Cougars are consistent offensively, scoring in 45 of 48 quarters this season, which is the highest average in college football at 93.7 percent. Houston is only 10-22 ATS in road games after gaining 325 or more passing yards in last game.

East Carolina pulls the upset as 2.5-point dogs if Pinkney throws accurately and RB Dominique Lindsay runs wild. Both are possibilities as Houston allowed 445 yards per game (those same teams averaged 370 YPG) and was 113th in run defense. The best way to beat Houston is a cliché, but it’s true, keep the offense on the sidelines. The Pirates can steal a win since they are 13-2 ATS when they score 28 or more points.

ECU is lucky to be here. Southern Miss fumbled and lost the ball at the one going in for touchdown and had blocked extra point returned for two points. Houston has to block a very good defensive line to give Keenum time to throw. This offense is unstoppable if pass patterns are given time to develop (ask losers). On defense, the Cougars will allow a ton of yards, but need to make a few stops or force turnovers. Houston historically has a vast collection of bad angles; nonetheless they are 8-3 ATS THIS season.

Here are numbers to chew on about this C-USA battle. Houston is 2-9 ATS in road games when they allow 28 or more points, while East Carolina is 0-6 ATS when they concede 28 or more points. The road team has won four of last five meetings and covered the spread each time. Additionally, in head to head matchups, Houston won by 21 points and East Carolina by 14.2.

3DW Line – Houston by 1

Chippewas Big Favorite in MAC Title Tilt

All season long, Central Michigan (10-2, 9-2 ATS) has gone about their business in a diligent manner. Picked to win the Mid-American Conference for the third time in four years, often other teams would have fallen under the weight of expectations, not this bunch. The Chippewas were 8-0 and 6-2 ATS in conference action and upset Michigan State and gave Arizona a competitive game, covering the spread at Tucson in the season opener. All along this journey, Dan LeFevour has proven to a special college quarterback and is now MAC’s all-time leader in passing yards, breaking quarterback Byron Leftwich’s record and is now third all-time on the NCAA yardage list. Central Michigan’s return to prominence after 8-5 season coincided with defense coming together. The Chippewas are 18-10-1 against the spread as conference favorites the last five seasons.

Ohio U. tumbled Temple from the ranks of the unbeaten in the MAC and captured the East Division title 35-17, ending the Owls nine-game winning streak. Quarterback Theo Scott threw three touchdowns and ran for two more, setting up 2006 rematch for conference championship. The Bobcats (9-3, 7-4 ATS) offense has clicked the last few weeks, averaging 33.3 points per game, after scoring 19.5 PPG against lesser MAC competition in four prior games. Ohio U. arrives in Detroit with four-game winning streak and is 18-8 ATS off one or more wins the last five years.

Central Michigan finished first in the conference in points allowed at 17.8 and second in total defense at 331 yards per game surrendered. Defensive end Frank Zombo said “It hurt last year to be ranked near the bottom in team defense, - he added, “That’s why we missed the championship game, and we had to watch it on TV. That’s what motivated us in the offseason. We didn’t want to be on our couches watching the game again.”

The Chippewas may have a decided edge over Ohio U. if they get into the red zone. Central Michigan held opponents to a 73 percent scoring rate inside the 20-yard line, while the Bobcats ranks 106th in red zone scoring, and beggarly 114th in red zone touchdown percentage.

Sportsbook.com has Ohio U. as a 13-point underdog at Ford Field, with total of 53. The Bobcats realize the hill they have to climb, but have a much improved secondary since the last time these teams met and have forced FBS-best 35 turnovers this season.

“You want to be the best, then you have to beat the best,” senior WR Taylor Price said. “We get that chance.”

Creating turnovers will be huge for the Ohio since they are 8-1 ATS if they have the opponent commit at least two miscues. Oddmakers are setting a scoring pace CMU signal caller Dan LeFevour is very comfortable at, with 9-2 ATS record when the total is between 49.5 and 56.

Central Michigan has defeated Ohio three consecutive times (2-0-1 ATS), including 31-28 at Athens, OH last year and in MAC Championship 31-10 three years ago.

ESPN2 has the MAC title game at 8:00 Eastern.

It's rare that most people in the world are having a better week than Tiger Woods

Sorry I had to miss you yesterday, too much to do. When we last posted these we went 2-1 and today have CBB system that is 84.6 percent. The Top Trend is in the NBA at sparkling 11-1 and Steve of the LLC looks to nail yet another winner, this time in the NFL. Good Luck

What I thought today – The whole Tiger Woods thing is amazing. People wonder how he could do such a thing and it’s just another in the never ending line of athletes who believe after time they are infallible. His modest contrition was followed like usual blaming of the media for making his life awful and the rumors being unjust and unfair. Though I have always been a Tiger supporter, I’m disappointed not only with his infidelity, but his apology has to come with blaming someone else. Of course if he hadn’t been hawking around, this wouldn’t have happened, every think of that Eldrick? I guess he’s given the name “Tiger” a whole new meaning.

On Twitter at: www.twitter.com/3Dailywinners

Free Basketball System-1) I know this system isn’t going to make everyone run right out and play it based on the team; however it is the best of the bunch today. PLAY AGAINST underdogs of 10 to 19.5 points like Marist, after trailing their last two games by 10 or more points at the half, with just two starters returning from last year in the first 10 games of the season. It’s comforting to have 22-4 ATS record to back you up.

Free Basketball Trend-2) Denver is 11-1 ATS after three straight games where both teams scored 100 points or less over the last two seasons.

Free Football Pick -3) Steve is playing the Under is NFL contest tonight.

Note- If you prefer to have this sent to you daily instead of having to visit the site, sign up for our FREE mailing list on the right.

Pac-10 title on the line in Oregon

ESPN undoubtedly would love to take credit for having the foresight to knowing this year’s “Civil War” between Oregon State and Oregon would have this much at stake. Alas, even the worldwide leader in sports knows that you luck into situations like this, having a Rose Bowl bid at stake. This is the first time ever the conflict has meant a trip to the “Grand Daddy of them all” for both schools.

Even the most optimistic of Oregon State backers saw a middle of the road Beavers team for 2009 and even a month ago would not have had a clue their team would be playing for the right to go to the Rose Bowl as Pac-10 champions.

But on Nov. 7, after upsetting California on the road 31-14 and Oregon losing at Stanford, things started to fall into place for these suddenly eager Beavers. After that win, coach Mike Riley tried to add perspective to his team about lie ahead, “if you win a big game, then the next one gets bigger.” His players accepted the challenge and are riding three-game winning streak (3-0 ATS) and is 6-0 ATS in road games after two straight Pac-10 games over the last two seasons.

Oregon State (8-3, 6-4 ATS) fans have not made the trek to Pasadena since the first day of 1964. Coach Riley might have a national power if his team could ever get off to fast start. After beginning 2-2 the Beavers have gnawed their way to six wins and covers in last seven games. Oregon State is 16-7 SU and ATS the last four games of the regular season since 2004.

Oregon (9-2, 7-4 ATS) was brilliant in coming from behind at Arizona, trailing 24-14 in the fourth quarter and tying the game at 31 in the waning seconds before a frenzied crowded that was ready to storm the field. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was unbelievable down the stretch and in overtime and placed his team in position to be outright Pac-10 champions with a victory against their most hated rival. The Ducks were last conference champions in 2001, but were moved to Fiesta Bowl because of BCS arrangement at the time. A win by Oregon has them playing New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1995. Oregon is 7-1 ATS with additional rest.

Oregon has scored 42 or more points in each Pac-10 game Masoli has started. He’s a master at running the read-option and powerful runner. His passing and judgment has improved all season. He’ll lead the Pac-10’s second ranked rushing offense against the top-rated run defense. The Beavers only allow 98.4 yards per game on the ground, but were lit up for 385 rushing yards last year at home by the Ducks. Oregon’s incredible efficiency has them 14-3 ATS after a game where they committed one or less turnovers.

Bookmaker.com has Oregon as 9.5-points favorites with total of 61.5. Oregon State knows to win quarterback Sean Canfield has to be on target for league’s best passing attack. The Beavers also have to be able to run close to their average of 147 yards, after gaining just 89 yards in last year’s battle. OSU is 14-3 ATS after the first month of the season and is 9-1 UNDER in road games off three straight wins against conference competition. The outcome could well be determined by the total score with the Ducks 8-1 OVER as a home favorite over the last two years, winning by over 17 points per game.

This Pac-10 title tilt starts at 9:00 Eastern and Oregon is 7-14 ATS since 1988 vs. Oregon State, however the home teams is 8-4 ATS in last 12.

College Buckets on ESPN2

With one conference head to head challenge in the books, another commences Thursday. This is the opening night for the Big 12-/Pac-10 Hardwood Series, with three games on tap. We’ll focus our attention on the two main contests on ESPN2 to get things started.

Washington at Texas Tech 7:00ET, ESPN2

Washington (5-0, 1-4 ATS) is one of the co-favorites in the Pac-10, mostly because they have the best balance in the front and backcourt compared to their league foes. Guard Isaiah Thomas brings explosiveness and tremendous speed out of the Washington guard position. The best player for the Huskies is senior Quincy Pondexter, who last season started to live up to hype since arriving in Seattle. He’s become the most dependable scorer for coach Lorenzo Romar. For Washington to match expectations, Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Darnell Gant have to be a factor come game day. The Huskies are 5-16 ATS off three or more consecutive home wins.

Texas Tech (7-0, 1-1 ATS) has devoured a group of crème puffs thus far and will face first legit team of the season. The Red Raiders are expected to be lackluster in the Big 12 after last year’s 11th place finish. Texas Tech has four starters back for this campaign and wing player Nick Okorie and forward D’walyn Roberts have been the most impressive players to date and underrated point guard John Roberson has added stability. The Red Raiders earlier defeated another Pac-10 club Oregon State 64-60. This is step in class and they are 9-19 ATS after four or more consecutive wins.

Bookmaker.com has Washington as three-point favorites as they prepare to play first road game of the season and the Huskies are 6-0 ATS as the visitor after they failed to cover the spread. The Red Raiders are tough to gauge, but 6-0 ATS record after allowing 30 points or less in the first half in two straight games has to be given some credence.

USC at Texas 9:00ET, ESPN2

Another matchup for the series between the Big-12 and Pac-10 has the Trojans visiting Austin, TX. Southern Cal (2-2, 1-2 ATS) was a program on the rise just 12 months ago; however three of their top players declared for the NBA Draft and then coach Tim Floyd was embroiled in the middle of a scandal, which forced his resignation. All previous top level recruits begged out of wearing the burgundy and yellow and new coach Kevin O’Neill took over, not known as Mr. Warmth. USC’s depleted roster took another hit recently when Kasey Cunningham went down for the season with knee injury, leaving the Trojans with five passable D-1 players. They are 5-16 ATS in road games after they made 50 percent of their three-point shots or more (5-for-9) since 1997.

Coach Rick Barnes has enough depth on his roster in which he could loan USC a few players and not miss a beat if this was a scrimmage. Texas (5-0 SU & ATS) can sleep walk to 70 points with established star like Damion James and emerging big man Dexter Pittman. Players like Gary Johnson, Justin Mason and Dogus Balbay, who started heavy minutes last season, are not on the court as often and fighting daily in practice with newcomers who are as talented or better. Texas can turn up the defensive pressure and they are 40-22 ATS when they allow 61 to 66 points.
Texas is 20.5-point favorite and they are 8-1 ATS after two straight wins by 15 points or more. USC will try and hang in and is 11-3 ATS in road games after a combined score of 125 points or less over the last three seasons.

Jets and Bills Thursday Preview

Like the New England-Tampa Bay matchup in London, passports will be needed for a New York-Buffalo matchup north of the border at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Despite the hype and revenue this matchup produces, the buzz around Western New York has been the meeting between former Denver head coach Mike Shanahan and the Bills upper brass about the open coaching vacancy left by Dick Jauron.

These division teams are playing for little more than pride at this point although there is a chance the Jets (5-6 SU & ATS) could work their way into the wildcard race yet.

While Buffalo (4-7, 6-5 ATS) sorts out its head coaching situation, interim coach Perry Fewell will run the ship for the rest of the campaign and try to figure out how to generate some points on offense in the final five games. Whether it’s Trent Edwards or Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, sustained drives have been hard to come by and a rag-tag offensive line, which has been brutal. The Bills had averaged 12.2 points per game in last eight outings before ending their most recent losing streak at three games with 31-14 decision over Miami as four-point home underdogs. The Bills are 8-20 ATS off a win by 10 points or more over an AFC East rival.

This will be the second meeting between the teams in 2009, and New York will be looking to avenge a 16-13 home defeat. Buffalo has won four of the last six, including both SU and ATS between the clubs in Orchard Park, with the underdog on a 3-0 spread roll. For the Bills, this is a second divisional home game in five days so to speak, and they are 3-1 ATS in this season vs. AFC East rivals after the upset of Miami.

Nevertheless, only six teams average fewer points than Fewell’s crew, and the offense has only four rushing touchdowns heading into Week 13. The Jets, meanwhile, are second (161.3 yards per game) in the league in rushing and boast 14 rushing scores.

New York will be looking for a much better performance from rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez than the last time he faced the Bills. The Week 6 loss to Buffalo was the first signs of cracking in the Sanchez foundation. He threw five interceptions, three to rookie Jairus Byrd, and wasted a 210-yard, one-touchdown effort from RB Thomas Jones and a potential 50-yard field-goal try by Jay Feely in overtime saw holder Steve Weatherford unable to handle the snap. The Flyboys are 3-6 ATS since 2005 in the first of two straight road assignments.

Bookmaker.com has New York as three-point favorites in Toronto and the Jets have won just once in five divisional games, both SU & ATS and are 1-6 ATS in their last seven AFC East contests overall. Coach Rex Ryan’s defense held Carolina to six points and 179 yards in the Meadowlands last week and they are 13-3 UNDER in road games after allowing four or less yards per play in their previous game. The listed total for this clash is 37 points.

Buffalo is 8-3 ATS against Gang Green since 2004 and after forcing four turnovers last Sunday, the Bills are 6-0 UNDER after a game with turnover margin of +3 or better.

This is NFL Network telecast which starts at 8:20E and the UNDER is perfect 6-0 on Thursday night’s this season.


Steve Makinen of The Platinum Sheet and College and Pro Football Weekly contributed to this article

Conference Championship Games History

The Southeastern Conference was the innovator of the Conference Championship game back in 1992 and when you think about, this has helped propel them to being arguably the best conference in college football year in, year out. The leaders of the SEC knew their customer was a football starved fan and would relish the opportunity for one more game to decide the league’s title. Most years this has provided additional excitement by splitting the conference into two divisions, giving more schools an opportunity to compete in this confrontation.

Alabama and Florida met in the first three games between these schools in this instant classic. In the first game, unbeaten Alabama came in ranked number two in the country and was a solid 10-point favorite over a Florida team that had lost three times, coached by Steve Spurrier, who had just started things rolling at his alma mater. With this being such a new venture, the SEC settled on Legion Field in Birmingham, the Crimson Tide’s home away from home. This guaranteed a sellout and the game was played there the first two years.

Alabama had allowed only eight points a game with its stifling defense, but a cocksure Spurrier had his team well prepared and with nothing to lose, took the opening kickoff for a touchdown. The Tide’s defense had trouble all game long with the Gators, allowing 347 yards, after surrendering only a 183 yards per game all year. Alabama hung on to win 28-21 over Florida. This year will be the sixth matchup between these teams in this contest, with Florida 3-2 SU and ATS. The Gators are 3-1 ATS when favored.

This will be the fifth appearance for each Nebraska and Texas in the Big 12 championship with the Cornhuskers 3-1 ATS and the Longhorns just the opposite at 1-3 ATS. This will be their third get-together in this battle.

Do you think Marshall ever wonders about leaving the MAC? They played in the first six championship games (won five) and haven’t been heard from since, moving on to Conference USA. Central Michigan looks to move into second place for MAC titles (seeking third) behind the Thundering Herd with a win this season, since this contest began in 1997.

Bettors receive five additional possibilities to consider that have often had their share of surprises. Here’s a look at the history of each of the conference championships.

SEC

The SEC will be playing it 18th championship game and has a rematch from last season, with Alabama facing the top-ranked team in the country in Florida. In the previous seventeen years, four teams, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee or LSU have been one of the participants in this contest. The favorite has won 14 of the 17 games; however it has been a battle most of the time as 8-8-1 against the spread record shows. For many college football fans, especially in the South, this game would do just fine to settle the national championship in 2009. However, it is just another step closer for the winner, moving to BCS title game and this team will likely be a favorite against whomever they play. Since 1996, the total has gone on runs of two or more and the UNDER has been the play the last two seasons.

Past SEC Championship Game Results
Date - Favorite (Line, Total), Underdog: SU / ATS / O-U
12/6/08 –FLORIDA (-10, 54) 31, ALABAMA 20 –FAV/FAV/UNDER
12/1/07 - LSU (-7, 58) 21, TENNESSEE 14 - FAV / Push / UNDER
12/2/06 - FLORIDA (-3, 44.5) 38, ARKANSAS 28 - FAV / FAV / OVER
12/3/05 - GEORGIA 34, LSU (-2, 42) 14 - DOG / DOG / OVER
12/4/04 - AUBURN (-14.5, 47.5) 38, TENNESSEE 28 - FAV / DOG / OVER
12/6/03 - LSU (-3, 42) 34, GEORGIA 13 - FAV / FAV / OVER
12/7/02 - GEORGIA (-9, 47) 30, ARKANSAS 3 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
12/8/01 - LSU 31, TENNESSEE (-7, 54) 20 - DOG / DOG / UNDER
12/2/00 - FLORIDA (-10, 51.5) 28, AUBURN 6 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
12/4/99 - ALABAMA 34, FLORIDA (-7, 51) 7 - DOG / DOG / UNDER
12/5/98 - TENNESSEE (-15, 48) 24, MISSISSIPPI ST 14 - FAV / DOG / UNDER
12/6/97 - TENNESSEE (-7.5, 58.5) 30, AUBURN 29 - FAV / DOG / OVER
12/7/96 - FLORIDA (-14, 48.5) 45, ALABAMA 30 - FAV / FAV / OVER
12/2/95 - FLORIDA (-24, 56) 34, ARKANSAS 3 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
12/3/94 - FLORIDA (-7, 46.5) 24, ALABAMA 23 - FAV / DOG / OVER
12/4/93 - FLORIDA (-4.5, 43.5) 28, ALABAMA 13 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
12/5/92 - ALABAMA (-10, 37) 28, FLORIDA 21 - FAV / DOG / OVER

Big 12

The Big 12 joined the festivities in 1996 and exploded onto the scene with a memorable contest. Nebraska had its usual powerhouse and was huge 20.5-point favorites over Texas, who had lost four regular season games. Longhorns coach John Mackovic emptied the playbook, utilizing trick plays and fourth down attempts and upset the heavily favored Cornhuskers 37-27. This gave the Big 12 affair instant credibility. Two years later, an unbeaten Kansas State squad cruised into the title game as 17.5-point favorites and was upset 36-33 by Texas A&M. Five seasons later, the Wildcats were able to pull the same trick on Oklahoma. The Sooners were unbeatable and two touchdown favorites over Bill Snyder’s K-State club. The Wildcats came out throwing deep and caught an overconfident Oklahoma team off-guard and buried Bob Stoops Sooners 35-7. Those represent three of the four losses by the favored team in 13 tries. The favorite is 8-4-1 ATS in the history of the game. Since 2002, this contest has been a series of blowouts, with the average winning margin being 31.7, with the closest three years ago, as Oklahoma won 21-7 over Nebraska. Eight of the 13 contests played have covered the spread by 10 or more points. The South Division has been by far the better of the two Big 12 divisions and that is shown by 5-0 SU and ATS dominance the last five years in this encounter. The UNDER has been the play five of the last seven contests.

Past Big 12 Championship Game Results

Date - Favorite (Line, Total), Underdog: SU / ATS / O-U
12/6/08 – OKLAHOMA (-16.5, 78.5) 62, MISSOURI 21 - FAV / FAV / OVER
12/1/07 – OKLAHOMA (-3, 64.5) 38, MISSOURI 17 - FAV /FAV / UNDER
12/2/06 - OKLAHOMA (-3.5, 44.5) 21, NEBRASKA 7 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
12/3/05 - TEXAS (-25, 60.5) 70, COLORADO 3 - FAV / FAV / OVER
12/4/04 - OKLAHOMA (-23.5, 54.5) 42, COLORADO 3 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
12/6/03 - KANSAS ST 35, OKLAHOMA (-14, 53) 7 - DOG / DOG / UNDER
12/7/02 - OKLAHOMA (-7, 51) 29, COLORADO 7 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
12/1/01 - COLORADO 39, TEXAS (-7, 54.5) 37 - DOG / DOG / OVER
12/2/00 - OKLAHOMA (-3, 53) 27, KANSAS ST 24 - FAV / Push / UNDER
12/4/99 - NEBRASKA (-8, 52.5) 22, TEXAS 6 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
12/5/98 - TEXAS A&M 36, KANSAS ST (-17.5, 46) 33 - DOG / DOG / OVER
12/6/97 - NEBRASKA (-19, 53) 54, TEXAS A&M 15 - FAV / FAV / OVER
12/7/96 - TEXAS 37, NEBRASKA (-20.5, 56) 27 - DOG / DOG / OVER

MAC

In 1997, the MAC joined the fun and has been the most entertaining of the conference championships. Eight of the 12 games played have been decided by eight points or less in highly competitive conflicts. This will be Central Michigan’s third appearance in the last four years in this game. This sets up another meeting with Ohio U., whom they whipped in 2006. Being the underdog is the better position in this contest as they are 7-4 ATS, with the favorite only 6-5 SU in lined MAC matchups for the crown. Following the same line of thinking, the team with the poorer record heading into the game is 7-2-1 ATS (Ohio U, this season). The dog has covered a double digit spread in all four instances.

Past MAC Championship Game Results
Date - Favorite (Line, Total), Underdog: SU / ATS / O-U
12/5/08 – BUFFALO 42, BALL STATE (-15, 62.5) 24 - DOG / DOG / OVER
12/1/07 – C MICHIGAN (-3, 64) 35, MIAMI OHIO 10 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
11/30/06 - C MICHIGAN (-3, 46.5) 31, OHIO U 10 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
12/1/05 - AKRON 31, N ILLINOIS (-13, 53.5) 30 - DOG / DOG / OVER
12/2/04 - TOLEDO 35, MIAMI OHIO (-1.5, 64) 27 - DOG / DOG / UNDER
12/4/03 - MIAMI OHIO (-6.5, 57) 49, BOWLING GREEN 27 - FAV / FAV / OVER
12/7/02 - MARSHALL (-2.5, 62.5) 49, TOLEDO 45 - FAV / FAV / OVER
11/30/01 - TOLEDO 41, MARSHALL (-2.5, 63.5) 36 - DOG / DOG / OVER
12/2/00 - MARSHALL 18, W MICHIGAN (-6.5, 54.5) 14 - DOG / DOG / UNDER
12/3/99 - MARSHALL (-20, 56.5) 34, W MICHIGAN 30 - FAV / DOG / OVER
12/4/98 - MARSHALL (-12, 48) 23, TOLEDO 17 - FAV / DOG / UNDER
12/5/97 - TOLEDO 14, MARSHALL 34 - N/A / N/A / N/A

ACC

The ACC has engaged in the fray in the last four years and it does not elicit much support on a local or national level. The ACC has had severe attendance problems; not being able to bring many of the locals to the contests played in Jacksonville or Tampa and would probably be better suited in Charlotte. The ACC championship has seen the favored teams lose outright three of four times, opening up more conjecture for this season. This is the second straight year the game features a rematch, with Georgia Tech having stopped Clemson 30-27 as five-point home favorites. After several years of not living up to expectations, the Tigers have finally made it to the title tilt. This is the Yellow Jackets second appearance in ACC finale and rest assured it will be a much higher scoring affair then their last visit.

Past ACC Championship Game Results
Date - Favorite (Line, Total), Underdog: SU / ATS / O-U
12/6/08 – VIRGINIA TECH 30, BOSTON COLLEGE (-1, 38) 12 - DOG / DOG / OVER
12/1/07 – VIRGINIA TECH (-4, 48) 30, BOSTON COLLEGE 16 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
12/2/06 - WAKE FOREST 9, GEORGIA TECH (-1, 40) 6 - DOG / DOG / UNDER
12/3/05 - FLORIDA ST 27, VIRGINIA TECH (-14.5, 45) 22 - DOG / DOG / OVER

Conference USA

Conference USA does not have the football tradition to play such a game at a neutral site and instead has one of the teams participating as the host. The home team has won and covered the first three conflicts, until East Carolina pulled the big surprise. The Pirates are back to defend their title, this time at home. Though the sampling is small, it is not a surprise this defensively-challenged conference is the only one that has not had a total under 50. This leads to negative angles for both teams in this battle. Houston is 2-9 ATS in road games when they allow 28 or more points, while East Carolina is 0-6 ATS when they concede 28 or more points.

In looking at the history of all games played on the home field of one team, the host is 7-3 SU, covering the spread on five occasions. The Over has been the play in six of the 10 affairs.

Past Conference USA Championship Game Results
Date - Favorite (Line, Total), Underdog: SU / ATS / O-U
12/6/08 – EAST CAROLINA 27, TULSA (-12, 66) 24- DOG /DOG / UNDER
12/1/07 - CENTRAL FLORIDA (-7.5, 73) 44, TULSA 25 - FAV / FAV / UNDER
12/1/06 - HOUSTON (-5.5, 53.5) 34, SOUTHERN MISS 20 - FAV / FAV / OVER
12/3/05 - TULSA (-2.5, 57) 44, C FLORIDA 27 - FAV / FAV / OVER

Looking Ahead in the Rearview Mirror

Here’s the deal, if you bet for or against the Carolina Panthers and lose, it’s your fault, since you’ve been warned. Jake Delhomme has a stranglehold on this franchise and his remarkably inconsistent play has bettors improving Rogaine sales, pulling their hair out.

After Delhomme continued last year’s playoff meltdown by throwing seven interceptions in first three games, all Carolina losses, coach John Fox said the he was his quarterback (since he didn’t have another on the roster that was any better). The Panthers offense live and running backs put a band-aid on the problem by winning three of next four games, and Delhomme actually went three games without a pick.

After last week’s loss to the Jets, it’s clear the “bad” Jake is back. He threw four absolutely lame interceptions against the Jets in 17-6 loss as 3.5-point underdogs. He threw more passes off his back foot against the Flyboys secondary; he actually wore out two heels on his right shoe in 34 pass attempts. In his last two games, Jake is 33-78 for 357 yards and has two TD’s and five picks. His quarterback ratings for those two contests have been 60.3 and 12.7. As stated, you been warned.

If you wondered how 6-5 Jacksonville could possibly attain a winning record, you have plenty of company. The Jaguars are the only team in the NFL with a positive record that has allowed more points than they have scored and by a rather large margin (202-255). Don’t expect them to be around come playoff time.

The Arizona and Tennessee contest ended being the betting game of the week. The Titans had largely opened as one-point home favorites and it drifted up to two points by Saturday. Just as the first NFL games were kicking off Sunday, word started filtering out that Kurt Warner was not going to play. That led to a rush of Tennessee money pouring in with many bettors having the Titans as -3 or those who came at game time at -3.5. As we know, Vince Young threw a touchdown on last play of the game and those holding Cardinals tickets lost for the most part, while many Titans backers were hung at -3.5, while those that held -3 or +3 got their money back.

Week 12 of the NFL was the first time in five weeks the favorites had a winning spread record (9-7) and for the fourth time in five weeks, the UNDER was the play overall.

Last Friday was the big shopping day known as Black Friday. For college football bettors who prefer favorites, the term took on another meaning as the chalk was 3-8-1 ATS and for the weekend they were 17-31-1 ATS, their worst showing percentage-wise since Week 5 of last season (16-30-1 ATS).

From an entertainment perspective, rivalry week was awesome and more like it used to be several years ago when underdogs were dependable plays when matched against their biggest rival.

Time to call out Pete Carroll as a hypocrite. After engaging and questioning Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh about going for two-points trying to get to a half a hundred against his Trojans, two weeks later USC threw TD bomb in the last minute to score a needless touchdown in 28-7 win over city rival UCLA. What made it all the more unusual is sometimes word gets to coaches about alumni having large wagers on certain games and they wouldn’t mind if the coach scored one more to make sure the donors are happy. That didn’t appear to be the case here since USC opened at -14, but were bet down quickly from there.

Know your Football Numbers-

Winning as a road underdog in the NFL is a big deal this season. This has been a real confidence booster for these clubs since they are 20-10-2 ATS in next game. We’re seeing a modest resurgence of an old favorite in the NFL, playing on teams off exactly three ATS losses. Their record is 11-6 ATS in 2009 and Seattle could be a potential play, but they had a bye week in the mix, which knocks them out.

My pal Steve Makinen wrote an article recently stating some stats are more dependable than others when addressing the NFL and he mentioned yards per point. Since week 4 (what I use as starting point), teams that were in the top 5 for that week and not playing another team in the same group, are respectable 20-15-1 ATS. Those teams in the bottom five after rocky 6-12 ATS start are 13-6 against the spread. Also of interest, when a bottom five team plays a top five team in YPPT, they are 4-3 ATS, having covered last four. Click here to see this week’s teams.

Turnovers are the one aspect college football bettors can’t truly account for. However, this season there has been one area you can at least receive some help. Teams that have committed five or more turnovers are 24-12-1 ATS if they play the following week and squads that force five or more miscues are 28-19-1 ATS if they play the next weekend.

Time to run up three Winners

A mildly disappointing 1-2 day, as Milwaukee missed covering by a single point. Steve of the Left Coast Connection has been brilliant in the NBA to date and offers his Best Bet. The Best System is 84.8 percent in a contest involving the Big 10 (11) and the ACC. The Top Trend is nearly perfect in college hoops. Good Luck

What I learned today – New Orleans ran 50 plays from scrimmage on Monday and averaged 9.6 yards per play. Since the 1970 merger only two teams have had as high an average yards per play while running a half-century of plays in one game: the Jets against the Colts in 1972 (10.6) and the Rams against the Chargers in 2000 (9.9). The Saints and Colts are first teams ever to start 11-0. Thanks Elias

On Twitter at: www.twitter.com/3Dailywinners

Free Basketball System-1) PLAY ON road underdogs of 10 to 19.5 points like Wake Forest, off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite against opponent off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite. The record reads 28-5 ATS the last dozen years.

Free Basketball Trend-2) The San Francisco Dons (as opposed to the Charley’s) are 1-11 ATS after playing a game as a road underdog over the last two seasons.

Free Basketball Pick -3) Steve of the LCC is 40-21in the NBA and is on Denver tonight.

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ACC/Big Ten Tuesday Preview

This 11- game event should be renamed – The Big Ten’s Challenge to defeat the ACC. If the Big Ten Conference had realized they would be zero and 10 in this matchup, they probably would have opted out like some of the football teams do and maybe gone after the Big Sky, however at least soon to be college players learn to see how to take defeat gracefully watching them play. Four games are on tap for Tuesday and two contests involve ranked teams from the Top 25. Here is Tuesday night’s preview. Lines from Bookmaker.com.

Michigan State at North Carolina (-2) 9:00E ESPN

It’s a rematch of last season’s national championship game with the Spartans and Tar Heels. North Carolina had one good and one bad game in preseason NIT, but has talent. The year after the Heels won their last championship, they essentially started over with a freshmen class that that ended up winning last year’s title. This club has far more experience with the likes of Deon Thompson, Marcus Ginyard and Deonte Thompson. Sophomores Larry Drew II and Tyler Zeller just need playing time and Drew in particular has to play better and protect the ball, committing too many turnovers. North Carolina has 29-12 ATS record in non-conference tilts and has covered last six against the Big Ten.

Kalin Lucas proved his worth last year and is the Michigan State team leader. With Raymar Morgan being less than 100 percent for the second year in a row, Durrell Summers is comfortably fitting into the role of second choice in the Michigan State pecking order. Summers expanded game makes him a more versatile asset. The Spartans have already been tested; having Gonzaga outplay them for 30 minutes before prevailing 75-71 and being upset by Florida 77-74 as 3.5-point favorites, thanks to 2-10 from behind the arc. Michigan State is 19-9 ATS away from East Lansing in December games.

Michigan State is the only Big Ten team to have winning record (5-4) in Challenge and the Tar Heels are 5-5.

Wake Forest at Purdue (-10.5) 7:00ET ESPN

The Demon Deacons are minus their two top scorers from a year ago yet might end up being a better team, as players that played secondary roles will be featured more. That includes forward Al-Farouq Aminu and center Chas McFarland. It is up to Ish Smith to be facilitator at the point guard and coach Dino Gaudio is very pleased to pick up JC transfer Konner Tucker and freshman Ari Stewart, both excellent shooters, which has been a sore spot with the team the last few years. This problem resurfaced against William & Mary in 78-68 loss, shooting 35.1 percent from the field and making just half their free throw attempts. Wake Forest is 26-17 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record and near perfect 8-1 vs Big Ten in this competition.

Purdue hasn’t gotten off to the kind of start they would like; no they are playing good basketball, but have been hampered by two key injuries. Freshman big man Sandi Marcius was lost for up to six weeks to a broken foot early in preseason practice and point guard Lewis Jackson with injured foot. That means increased minutes for Keaton Grant, which might make the Boilermakers a little less explosive, but better defensively. E’Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel and JaJuan Johnson are who drives the Purdue bus and this trio is keeping them in the fast lane, winning Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands with a thrilling one-point win over Tennessee.

The Boilers are 3-11 ATS in December games over the last three seasons and 2-6 SU in this event.

Maryland at Indiana (+4.5) 7:30E ESPN2

The Terrapins return to action after a disappointing 1-2 record in Maui, losing rather easily to Cincinnati and Wisconsin, both who might be bigger factors in their respective leagues than first thought. Maryland didn’t receive the backcourt play they expected and were soundly beaten on the glass, which was big factor. Maryland is 6-2 ATS off a loss and 4-1-1 ATS vs. the Big Ten.

The rebuilding process continues in Indiana and junior transfer Jeremiah Rivers is making his youthful companions better, dealing the ball with aplomb. Christian Watford and Maurice Creek have been among the benefactors and Verdell Jones III has also been on the receiving end of assists. The Hoosiers are 1-6-1 ATS after covering the spread.

Virginia Tech at Iowa (+3) 9:30E ESPN2

The Hokies are giving headaches to backers in spite of 4-1 start. Virginia Tech is 0-4 ATS, failing to put the ball in the basket with any level of consistency. Their early season slate does not in any way represent what they will face in the ACC, yet only once have thet shot over 45 percent. They are 1-7 ATS off a SU victory and 0-5 vs. the Big Ten.

Iowa is off to one of their worst start in decades, with defections, too many young players and a general lack of talent to play at a high level. At least they will have the crowd on their side, though nobody will magically appear to be a post player. Coach Todd Lickliter is already getting heat and they are forced to rely too heavily on the three-ball, with no threat down low. Teams are pressuring the perimeter, not respecting the Hawkeyes ability to tabulate points in the paint. Iowa is 17-37 ATS in most recent non-conference games.